As part of the European Federation of Road Victims, we have requested the FEVR and its member associations to join the #invisiblevictims campaign so that the European Directive protects road traffic victims.

Montse, Vicente, Henry, Ana, Richard, John, Amelia, Kety, Eloísa and a long etcetera did not receive help after the road crash.

In Europe, the application of Victims’ Rights Directive has been very disappointing for victims of road crashes, since a very small percentage has benefited from the Victim's Statute. One of the reasons is the lack of recognition of victims of road crashes as victims of a crime, even though most of the time it is the result of assaults in traffic as a result of illicit, reckless and illegal conduct.

That is why we want to remind that road crash victims are also victims of violent acts that fall within the criminal sphere and that road violence causes deaths and injuries with lifelong consequences and must be protected by the Victims’ Rights Directive.

Denying this protection and not acknowledging the loss and suffering suffered by victims of road crashes by society, the Community and the judicial system can lead to secondary victimization, accentuating and chronicling their anguish and prolonging their pain unnecessarily.

Now a reform of Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of October 25, 2012, is going to be debated in the European Parliament and for this reason we ask for your signature, so that the European parliamentarians support the victims and recognize explicitly to this group to equate road crash victims with the rest of victims of violent acts, avoiding creating categories of victims.